Parallels and Purple Bruises
by hurleycat
Summary: Dan and Phil find out their daughter is in an abusive relationship. (phan, mentions of recent and past abuse)


Title: Parallels and Purple Bruises

Prompt: Dan and Phil find out their daughter is in an abusive relationship.

Word Count: 1,286

Disclaimers: no es mio.

Author's Note: (If you've read my Yet Like a Dog, I kind of tied it in, but you don't have to have read it to understand, k? Also: awesome prompt omg thanks)

.~.

"Amy!" Phil shouted as he pulled the milk carton from the fridge. His husband and son were waiting patiently for breakfast at the table, and four plates of food were already set out. "Wake up! It's nearly eleven!"

"_Ugh_!" came the reply from all the way across the house. "_God_—Dad, it's too early for this!"

Phil chuckled and was about to shout back when Dan yelled, "Fine! Then I'm letting Jason eat your pancakes!"

There was a beat of silence then Amy responded, "Just let me get dressed!" And a few moments later she came running out, pulling a sweatshirt on over her camisole. "If anybody touched my pancakes, I swear to God—"

Phil waved her off with a kitchen towel, and they both sat down. The four started digging into their breakfast, so everyone was silent for a long time, too focused on their food to even bother with conversation.

Phil glanced up from his food to smile at his children. Each of them was genetically related to one of their fathers, and while he and Dan had promised to never reveal who was whose child, it became increasingly obvious as the kids got older. Jason, who was already tall and lanky at twelve years old, had chocolate brown eyes with dark skin to much; he kept it his hair short, but he was still a spitting image of Dan.

Amy, on the other hand, was exactly how Phil imagined he would look if he was a girl. Her biological mother had black hair, so it matched Phil's dyed locks, and she had striking blue eyes that peered out from under her bangs. She had always been extremely pale.

"Hey, Amy?" Jason said through a mouthful of food. "You gonna finish that?"

"Yes," Amy snapped. She scowled at him then looked over at Phil and Dan. "Dad… Pop…"—both their children had progressed from calling Dan Papa to Pop—"can I go to a party with Chase tonight?"

Dan lifted one eyebrow. There was no way she was going out with her boyfriend tonight. "You went to a party last night," he said. "And you got home _way_ past your curfew. Do you really think we're gonna let you go out again tonight?"

Amy dropped her fork on the table. "But Pop—"

"No buts," Dan growled, putting up one finger.

Phil looked between his husband and daughter, deciding it would be best to let Dan handle this one. He'd always hated lecturing them. But soon Amy was turning to Phil. "_Dad_," she begged.

She put her hands out pleadingly, and he was about to respond when he realized that her sweatshirt sleeve had ridden up. "What the hell is that?" he asked as he grabbed her arm and pulled it closer to him. A purple and brown hand print wrapped all the way around her small wrist.

"Amy," Phil heard Dan say from behind him, and he soon felt his husband standing behind him. Dan seemed to gulp. "Jason, go to your room."

"But—" Jason leaned over the table.

"_Go_!"

He looked shocked but hurried out of the room.

Phil knew that he should take over the situation before Dan started talking. He slowly lifted Amy's sleeve up again and stroked his fingers over the bruise. "Amy, honey, where did you get this?" he asked softly.

Amy was looking down at her lap and she refused to look up even when she answered. "It's nothing. Somebody just grabbed me accidentally at the party last night."

"That's way older than last night," Phil growled. When he realized how harsh his voice had sounded, he cleared his throat and reminded himself to be calm.

Dan put his hand on his husband's shoulder and squeezed. Phil looked up and met his eyes, knowing the night they were both recalling when Dan had found out what Phil's ex-boyfriend had done to him, and he had sworn to never hurt his boyfriend like that.

"That little shit…" Dan growled to himself. He crouched down, trying to meet Amy's eyes. "Did Chase do that to you?" he asked.

Without warning, Amy started crying. She still didn't look up at them, but she sobbed out, "Papa, I don't know what to do." Phil started to rub her back and she continued, "I tried to break up with him, but he said he'd… he…" She let out another sob.

Phil felt his heart drop into his stomach, wondering if this was how he'd seemed all those years ago, begging his brother to help him escape Owen because he couldn't take the abuse anymore. How had he not seen it earlier? He kicked himself for not being able to protect his children from exactly what he'd gone through.

He slid from his chair and crouched next to Dan so she was forced to either look up or meet his gaze. Slowly, so she had time to prepare herself for the contact, Phil set his hand on her cheek. "I don't care what he told you, Honey. Your Papa and I are going to protect you, okay? I don't care what lies he tried to feed you. There's always a way to get away from people like him."

Amy launched herself from her chair and into Phil's arms. He felt tears start to patter onto his shoulder and hugged her closer to his chest. "I love you," he whispered into her hair. "I will never let you be hurt like this again, okay?"

She nodded into his shirt. "I don't know what to do," she gasped. "He's coming to pick me up later for the party."

Dan put his hand on her back. "Don't worry about a thing. We'll handle it."

.~.

Chase showed up at exactly seven o' clock, not a moment later. He stood in the doorway with stupid, cocky grin that Dan wanted to smack right off of his face. He waved when Dan opened the door. "Hi, Mr. Howell-Lester!"

"Get out," Dan growled. He walked forward so his body took up the entire doorframe. He silently thanked genetics that he was intimidatingly tall.

Chase crinkled his eyebrows. "Huh?" he asked, wiping back his scruffy blonde hair.

Dan took another step forward, forcing Chase to back away slightly. "I said, get out of here and never come back."

"Why?" Chase asked, starting to sound a little angry. Dan noticed how the teen's fists curled up into fists.

Dan couldn't stop himself before he'd curled his fist around the front of Chase's shirt and slammed him against the wall outside the apartment. He leaned forward so their faces were close. "I hate people like you,' he growled, slamming his hand on the wall by Chase's head. "I don't get it. How did you _think_ for one second that my husband and I wouldn't kill you for this? I just don't get it. How do you people hurt and control the people you're supposed to love?"

Chase slammed his fist uselessly against Dan's chest. "Put me down," he grunted.

"Fine." Dan dropped him, and Chase crumpled to the ground. "Now get out of her and leave my family alone."

Chase was on his feet and headed out of the building before Dan could even finish stomping back into his apartment and slamming the door.

Dan walked to the back of the apartment, where his daughter's room was. He leaned against the doorway and watched as his husband held Amy in his arms, whispering comfort and stroking her hair. He smiled slightly.

He let out a huge breath and started to walk over to them, promising himself that he would never let anybody he loved ever be hurt like that again.


End file.
